Willaed h



UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD H. GILMAN, OE BOSTON, MASsACHUsETTs, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To AMERICAN AMUSEMENT COMPANY, OF KIT ERY, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE. A

SEESAW AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,197, dated. February 23, 1904.

Application filed March 23, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD H. GILMAN, of Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain'new and 5 useful Improvements in Seesaw Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention has forits object to provide a novel and attractive amusement apparatus I adapted particularly for pleasure resorts, such as parks and other places Where people congregate in search of amusement.

The invention as here shown and described is embodied in a tilting frame or seesaw mounted to oscillate upon afixed support and having at each end a diving-bell adapted to carry a number of persons and tanks arranged relatively to the seesaw, so that when either end of the seesaw and the diving-bell thereon is depressed the said bell will enter a body of water or other liquid, thus giving the occupants of the bell a peculiar and novel combination of sensations-namely, alternately moving through the air and being surrounded by 5 a body of liquid.

The invention will be next particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Of the accompanying'drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents 3 aside elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, the tanks being shown in section. Figs. 2 and 3 represent horizontal sections showing .thelocking devices of one of the diving-bellsin two positions. Figs. 4 and -5 represent detail vertical sections, showing one of said locking devices in said positions. Fig.6 represents a vertical section at right angles to Figs. 4and5 and on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. The same reference characters indicate the 4 same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, 10 represents a fixed supporting-frame, which may be of any suitable construction and to which is pivoted or fulcrumed at 11 a tilting frame or seesaw 12,

which is adapted to be oscillated in a vertical plane and may be of any suitable construction, due care being taken to impart suflicient strength and stability. To each end of the Serial No. 1%,022. (No model.)

seesaw 12 is pivoted at 13 a cage or carrier 14:, which is adapted to support a suitable number of persons and provided with seats 15 for the passengers to be carried. 14 constitutes apart'of a compound diving-bell, the other part of which is composed of a hood 16, which is closed at its top and open at its bottom and is of air-tight construction above the open bottom. The said hood is movable vertically with relation to the accompanying cage 14, and means are provided to cause the hood to descend and surround the occupants of the cage at a given point during the downward movement of the cage, so that during the remainder of the downward movement the passengers are entirely within the hood, which, with the cage, constitutes to all intents and purposes a diving-bell adapted to enter a body of Water and displace the same in accordance with the usual mode of operation of a divingbell.

17 17 represent tanks which are adapted to contain a body of water or other liquid, said tanks being arranged so that each will receive one of the above-described diving-bells when the latter is depressed.

Means are provided for oscillating the seesaw 12, and thus causing each diving-bell to be alternately raised and depressed, the depressed diving-bell being immersed in the liquid in the corresponding tank. I have here shown a steam-engine 18 as the means for oscillating the seesaw, said engine being connected with the seesaw by means of pulley 19, belt 20,

pulley 21, worm 22, worm-gear 23, adrum 24: aflixed to the shaft of the gear 23, and a rope or chain 50, connected at its ends to the seesaw near the opposite ends thereof, the central portion of the said rope being engaged with the drum, so that when the drum is rotated in one direction the rope will pull downwardly on one end of the seesaw and permit the other end to rise. Hence by reversing the rotation of the drum from time to time the seesaw is caused to oscillate. The rope 50 is guided by pulleys 51 51.

The object of the described compound construction of the diving-bells is to give the passengers an unobstructed view and a suffileaves the liquid and immediately raises the cient supply of light and air when they are above the tanks. These objects, as will be readily seen, are accomplished by raising the hood portion 16 of each diving-bell directly the passengers are raised above the liquid in the tank, each hood portion being depressed just before the passengers 'enter the tank. The hood portions are preferably provided with glazed openings or windows 25, so that when they are depressed and surround the passengers light will be admitted through said windows and through the surrounding liquid. It will be seen that the floor 26 of the cage 14 is open, so that the water has access to the interior of the bell. It cannot, however, owing to the body of air confined in the bell, rise more than a slight distance therein, and the passengers are therefore kept dry.

My invention includes means for maintaining the diving-bells in a vertical position while they are being raised and depressed and means for automatically raising and depressing the hoods 16 independently of the cage portions or carriers 14.

27 represents a tilting bar or lever which is centrally pivoted at 28 to the apex of the supporting-frame 10 and is pivoted at its ends at 29 to arms or brackets .30, aflixed to the cages 14, the distances between the central pivot 11 of the seesaw and the diving-bell pivots 13 being the same as 'the distances between the central pivot 28 and the end pivots 29 of the bar 27 This arrangement causes each diving-bell to stand in a vertical position throughout its entire upward and downward movement.

The means here shown for automatically raising and lowering the hoods 16 are as 'follows: 31 31 represent flexible connections, such as ropes or chains, secured at their inner ends to springs 32 32, attached to the seesaw 12 and extending from said springs over pulleys 33 33 on the seesaw, stationary pulleys 34 on the support 10, and pulleys 35 35, located on the brackets 30 at points above the hoods 16. The cords 31 31 are connected with the hoods 16 16 and serve to suspend and support the latter, the arrangement of the parts being such that when one end of the seesaw is depressed and the other end raised the cord 31, extending to the depressed end, is slackened and permits the hood 16, connected therewith, to descend and surround the passengers in the cage. At the same time the cord 31, extending to the higher end of the seesaw, is under tension and is caused to support the hood 16, with which it is connected at a lifted point above the passengers in the accompanying cage. This action is caused by the approach to and recession from the fixed pulleys 34 of the movable pulleys 33 during the tilting of the seesaw 12. WVhen the cage and hood are rising from the liquid, the cord is put under tension shortly after the cage 37 37 on the sides of the cage 14.

hood to its highest position relatively to the cage. The hood when depressed to its lowest position relative to the cage is locked in that position by means of latches 36 36, mounted on the roof of the hood and engaging keepers These latches are projected by springs 38 38 and are withdrawn by the cords 31, to which they are attached when said cords are under tension. The cords pass around vertical pulleys 39 and horizontal pulleys 40 on the roof of the hood 16 in reaching the latches 36. It is evident that when the cord 31 slackens by the descent of the diving-bell toward the surface of the water and the lowering of the hood 16 to its limit the latches 36 will be permitted to lock with their keepers and that after the divingbell has emerged from the water the tightening of the cord will first withdraw the latches and then raise the hood.

I claim a 1. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a liquid-holding tank, a divingbell movable into and out of said tank, said diving-bell having a cage and a hood vertically movable relatively to the cage, means for alternately raising and depressing said divingbell and for raising and depressing the hood, and mechanism for intermittently locking the hood to the cage.

2. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a tilting frame or seesaw, a-fixed support for said frame between vthe ends thereof, diving-bells connected with the ends of the said frame, each bell comprising a cage or carrier and a hood vertically movable relatively thereto, tanks arranged at opposite sides of the support to receive said diving-bells, means for oscillating the frame, means for raising and depressing said hoods, and mechanism for intermittently locking the hoods to the cages, said mechanism having provisions for locking the hoods alternately.

3. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a pivoted frame or seesaw, means for'oscillating the same, diving-bells connected with the end portions of said frame, each diving-bell comprising a cage or carrier and a hood vertically movable relatively thereto, and mechanism actuated by the movements of the frame for raising and depressing said hoods.

4. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a pivoted frame or seesaw, means for oscillating the same, diving-bells connected with the end portions of said frame, each diving-bell comprising a cage or carrier and a hood vertically movable relatively thereto, mechanism actuated by the movements of the frame for raising and depressing said hoods, and mechanism for intermittently locking each hood to the accompanying cage.

5. An apparatus of the (zharacter specified,

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLARD H. GILMAN.

Witnesses:

E. BATQHELDER, A. D. HARRISON. 

